Plum tarte tatin with spiced red-wine glaze

Ingredients

Don't attempt to make the tart in a loosebottomed tin or you will find the plum juice all over the oven floor. I use a shallow china pie dish or a similar-size flan dish, the base of which measures about 20-22cm in diameter. You will also need a larger plate for serving.

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FOR THE GLAZE:

450ml medium-bodied red wine

150g caster sugar

4 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

Grated zest of ½ orange

3 cloves

FOR THE PLUM TARTE TATIN:

25g unsalted butter, melted

130g soft, light brown sugar

625g plums, about 7, halved and stoned

325g ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry

TO SERVE

Ice cream

Method

For the spiced red-wine glaze, place all the glaze ingredients in a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Turn up the heat slightly and leave to boil moderately until the liquid has reduced by just over half, about 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a bowl, discard the spices and leave the syrup to cool.

For the tarte tatin, heat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/mark 6. Pour the melted butter into the tart dish (see introduction) and sprinkle over half the sugar. Arrange the plums, cut side up, in the dish making sure they are tightly packed but still in one layer. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool for 15 minutes. This will prevent the pastry from melting on contact with the hot plums.

Cut out a circle of pastry about 2-3cm wider than the base of the dish. You may need to roll out 2 edges of the pastry to former a squarer shape as the sheets tend to come in rectangles. Drape the pastry circle over the plums, tucking in the edges. Make a large slit in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Place a large serving plate over the dish and flip over. Lift off the dish and mop up any excess juice. Serve in slices with a tablespoon or two of the spiced red-wine syrup drizzled over.

To drink: An opulent, sweet wine with enough acidity for the sweet-sharp plums and syrup, for example a young Sauternes, or this unusual dark Muscat, the flavours of which are spot on: Elysium Black Muscat 2012, £9.95-£11.75 for 37.5cl, Jeroboams, Tanners and Majestic.